All posts filed under: Natural Beauty Routines

Winter is a brutal time of year for our skin. There’s the hustle of holiday travel, mad dash for projects and presents, and skin-parching parties (hello rosacea, my old friend) paired with whipping winter winds (I’ve come to talk with eczema again). It’s no wonder that every winter, my face’s wish list consists of nothing more than a little extra love. So goes that saying, “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” As I start to itch — literally itch — for a little sun and sand, this season I’ve set a quiet ritual of candles and ocean potions. Sundays are my set time for afternoon embarkations into the bath.

Kirsten Kjær Weis has a certain magnetism about her. You can tell she’s a woman who has thought a lot about what she’s going to say — that words are important to her. Soft-spoken and eloquent, her manner makes you want to lean in, be quiet, and listen. When she dropped by green beauty spot Fig & Flower last week my friend Caroline and I pulled up a couple of chairs and did just that.

My idea of perfect daily makeup is somewhere between I woke up like this (flawless) and that endless summer glow that can only be found after a week sunbathing off the coast of Spain, lips stained and cheeks flushed off a big glass of Malbec and night of dancing. Really reasonable for a designer who works in an office all week and gets fully flush-faced at first sight of sunshine and rosé, right? With practice and a few miracle workers, I’ve figured out how to roll out of bed with eyes half shut and spend five minutes prepping for my day with a few good products to get glowing.

“You look so much healthier than before the wedding,” my mom recently mentioned as I watched her eyes trace from my forehead down over the bridge of my nose, resting on one cheek then crossing to the other. “Your face looks a lot… better.” Had anyone else made the comment it would have hit a nerve and I would have jumped to the defense of last summer’s skin. But when my mom notices something, she’s usually right. She’s just as perceptive as she is honest as she can be blunt. Six months ago my face was a mess.

So it’s 2018 now. I have a new blog and my beauty routines have changed a bit since this post: I now have a five-minute makeup routine (two years strong!) I simplified my everyday skincare even more I put together a super soothing weekend facial ritual I met Kjær Weis and she told me seven really good makeup tips Three years later I still use most of the below products all the time — Rahua, Weleda, MCMC, Oille, Reviva, Diptyque, RMS concealer, and Burt’s Bees lip balm are on my vanity every week. In 2016 I switched to Weleda’s citrus deodorant. It works just as well as their rose deodorant but smells much nicer. My husband took my rosehip oil. The BKR bottle’s still going strong. More than anything my skin loves a solid routine. Adjusting these beauty habits with the seasons works really well for my body and spring has brought on quite a few changes since my winter wellness check in. I’m craving more exfoliation, lighter moisturizers, and loads of detoxifying salts, herbs, …

So. I’ve been ruminating and rewriting this post over the past few months. This is going to wrap up a lot of last year’s personal projects and what I’ve learned. And I’ve tried my best to organize it all in such a way that I don’t seem an incoherent, crazy person to you. I know, I’m such a good friend. THE POWER OF SMALL HABITS Have you ever started a small project in one area of your life, only to find it quietly take strong roots in other places? Each time I stand behind an idea and build a routine around it, something new in my core beliefs is also unearthed. Like a polaroid in the open air, I find that when I potter away on my little projects, the bigger picture develops all on its own. INTO THE WARDROBE And so if my mission to edit down my closet and the Nothing New project have taught me anything, it’s to more aggressively question what I buy and keep, and why. When I pointed that …

There’s something so wonderful about the cool air that comes with the first weeks of fall. Like clockwork, those crisp mornings signal some primal rhythm in me. Hunt, gather, slow down. I start to crave citrus, warm tea, hot baths, and five more minutes under the covers. Autumn also has a way of welcoming inspiration and ideas into my life. This year it means a new little series for Rose & Fig: Wellness Rituals. Each post I’ll highlight the routines that help me to be well, stay stylish, and live verdantly. First up, autumn wellness rituals! Start with Super Tea: Bee Pollen, Spicy Honey, Ginger, Citrus Steep these in a mug of hot water for a one-two punch against colds, congestion, and fall allergies. Containing every essential amino acid, bee pollen is one of nature’s most nourishing superfoods – and when I buy locally, both pollen and honey seem to help a lot with fall allergies. I use Atlanta Honey Company’s Hotlanta Honey, which clears up congestion and doubles as a nourishing shampoo treatment. Ginger, …